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Procedure

The following steps occur when the child’s goal is changed to adoption

The child’s SSW, the foster family’s R&C worker, their supervisors, Child Focused Recruitment Model (CFRM) recruiterand any other appropriate staff consult to determine whether foster parent adoption is appropriate when the decision is made to change the goal to adoption.

The SSW and/or R&C worker:

Meets with the foster family within thirty (30) working days when the goal changes to adoption and when foster parent adoption is identified as the Cabinet’s preferred plan for the child to discuss the following: 1

The difference between fostering and adopting;

Importance of permanency to child;

Legal relationship within adoption;

Legal risks;

Child’s options for a permanent home when foster parent does not adopt;

Areas in which the foster family needs preparation as a potential adoptive resource;

Adoption assistance program and eligibility status of the child.

Adoption assistance requests cannot be processed until after the termination of parental rights;

Adoptive parent’s responsibility to retain an attorney for the purpose of finalization of the adoption;

Benefits the child may be eligible to receive;

Resources in the community for children with special needs;

Support services for adoptive parent (i.e. Adoption Support for Kentucky (ASK), the Network, etc.);

Adoption process from TPR through Circuit or family court judgment of adoption finalization;

Continued future contact with birth siblings;

Foster parent’s attitudes about contact with birth siblings and thoughts on handling that contact;

Answering child’s questions about adoption and about his past, and explore sample statements to determine impact of those statements on the child; and

The status of the child’s lifebook.

Asks the foster parents to sign the DPP-198 Foster Parent Statement of Intent to Adopt, at the conclusion of the foster parent adoption education session or within five (5) working days of the meeting, and return to the SSW if adoption by the foster parent is a suitable plan; 2

Provides a copy of the signed foster parent statement of intent to adopt to:

KAPEoffices;

Adoptive review committee; and

Service region administrator (SRA) or designee in the region of the foster family’s residence.

The SSW:

Considers the appropriateness of a placement change with another family who will adopt if the foster parent is not interested in adopting.

The SSW and R&C worker:

Enter the details of the foster parent adoption education session into the service/running record of their respective cases.

The following steps occur after termination of parental rights is granted:

The SSW:

Completes the presentation summary packet and gives the original packet to the foster family’s recruitment and certification (R&C) worker and a copy to central office Adoption Services Branch staff within ten (10) working days of the termination of parental rights judgment (Refer to SOP 13.10 Preparing the Presentation Summary Packet). 3

The SSW or R&C worker:

Redacts identifying information about a child’s biological family after receiving the presentation summary packet.

The R&C worker:

Meets with the foster family, gives them a copy of the packet, discusses the confidentiality of shared information and the DPP-171 Notice of Confidentiality is signed;

Begins negotiation of adoption assistance with the family if the child meets the eligibility criteria;

Submits the request for adoption assistance and recommendation for approval of the proposed foster parent adoption thru the FSOS, to the SRA or designee for approval or non-approval within thirty (30) working days of the termination of parental rights final order;

Upon approval, obtains the signature(s) of the foster/adoptive parent(s) on the adoption assistance agreements and distributes them to the foster/adoptive parent, children’s benefits worker and regional billing specialist;

Prepares and signs the DPP-195 Adoption Placement Agreement with the foster/adoptive family and distributes copies to the family and the SSW for the child; 4

Enters the DCBS foster home as an adoptive provide case in TWIST, if a case does not already exist in TWIST;

Sends the foster parent adoption referral packet to the central office adoption specialist along with one (1) copy of the adoptive placement agreement and one (1) copy of the foster parent adoption packet, after an adoption is finalized. The packet contains:

A cover memo;

Copy of the family’s original narrative packet;

Current annual strengths/needs assessment;

Foster parent statement of intent to adopt; and

Request for adoption assistance if appropriate.

Reviews the information that was addressed during the foster parent adoption education session held at goal change.